


Nothing Special

by orphan_account



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-09
Updated: 2008-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jack sees Martha through the window of a café on the corner not far from Torchwood.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Martha Jones





	Nothing Special

Drinking coffee at the café, Jack made it his business to get there early before it became crowded. He had no idea why it did become crowded—it was a disgusting place really; dirty, depressing and dreary. And it was raining hard, making it downright depressing. Maybe that would drive the unsuspecting people into the café. Knowing that the trains, the buses, and all means of public transport were awful these days he knew the passengers late coming to or from work would pour through the doors just for shelter and warmth.  
  
But they would be disappointed. The coffee was awful; but then Jack was used to Ianto’s coffee which was a damn fine cup of coffee. This café was no Twinned Peeks; it had to be the cheapest ever. Why did he decide to come again? He should have gone somewhere nicer where the coffee didn’t taste like mud and you didn’t find hairs in your food. Of course, this was the closest place to the train station and very close to the Hub. Too close to pass up on a rainy day.  
  
It really was coming down in buckets. The roof of the café still had parasols and plastic tables and chairs out that were covered in puddles of rain. The parasol filled with a heavy amount of water, and others, along with the tables and chairs, blew away down the street. One of the café workers noticed and rushed out to retrieve them. Within seconds he was soaked through, as if caught in a storm at sea, and Jack had to chuckle as he threw down the payment for the coffee and left the table. He glanced out of the window as he made his way out, noticing a young woman battle her way through the rain and wind carrying a carton of milk in one hand and an umbrella in the other, between her freezing fingers. He couldn’t see her face but took the chance to check out her figure.  
  
Another gust of wind blew suddenly and snatched the woman’s umbrella right out of her hands. Within seconds she was drenched with rain water. Jack braced at the sight of the woman’s face—it was none other than Martha Jones! She swung to watch her umbrella flying away down the street, into the road and under a bus; had it been in a film it might have been funny but all it did to Martha was annoy her. She threw the carton of milk to the ground and rushed under one of the remaining parasols to keep dry. She was unsuccessful as the rain dripped right onto her anyway, and once the water became too much for the parasol an entire cup full fell all over her.  
  
Jack rushed out the door and called to her, “Martha!” she turned and smiled. “It is Martha Jones, right? I’m not looking at a double or secret twin?”  
  
“Jack!” said the watery Martha, hair and face and everything dripping with rain. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“This isn’t far from the Torchwood base” he explained, pointing towards the route. Martha turned her head and nodded, not really paying attention; it was hard with all the rain. She was clearly in a hurry but Jack couldn’t help himself. “So what are you doing in Cardiff? You’re not stalking me are you?”  
  
“No, no” Martha said, using a wet hand to push back a damp streak of hair “no, I’m here visiting an old school friend and she asked me to pick up some milk, then it started raining and I lost my umbrella—surprised to bump into you, though!”  
  
“Yeah” said Jack, unable to stop grinning, “What are the chances? I thought you’d be on some exciting adventure with the Doctor.” He said this with a tinge of bitterness—and he wasn’t sure why. It just seemed the right thing to do. He noticed Martha look awkward and he sighed, “Lost you, huh?”  
  
“No, actually” Martha confirmed, head held high “I left him, but I imagine I’ll be seeing him soon. I made sure he took my phone so I can call him.”  
  
“I wish I’d thought of that” Jack stated thoughtfully but he laughed and clapped his hands. “Congratulations, since he landed in the 21st century you must be the only companion to leave of her own accord and still have the Doctor hanging.”  
  
Martha smiled, “Lucky me, eh?”  
  
And there was an odd moment of silence where the only sound was the white noise of rain splashing on the pavement, running down the roof, dripping over Martha. The sky was so dark that the street lights turned on and the ground shone around them. Car lights lit up not only the shadows on the street but also Martha’s damp skin—she seemed to glow. Jack just stared at her for a while before he managed to break the ice with a laugh.  
  
She nodded, “Well I better get going; she’ll be wondering where I am…”  
  
“Who…?”  
  
“Julia, my school friend”  
  
“Oh!” Jack said, coming to his senses. He bent down and picked up the plastic milk carton, slightly bend from the assault Martha had inflicted on it in furry. He rubbed it with his sleeve, as it was covered in gritty mud, as handed it to her. He then grinned, “You better get going then; does she live far because if she does I can drop you off in the SUV…”  
  
“No, that’s fine” Martha said, brushing off the offer with her hand, flicking water as she did. “It’s only a couple of streets away, I’ll be fine.”  
  
Then, in a moment of madness or pity or affection, or all three—either way Jack wasn’t thinking—he removed his coat and draped it around Martha, who was now cold and shaking. The last thing a new doctor needed was a fever or a cold; not a great start. As he stepped back to admire the young woman wearing the large and long coat, she just looked at him, deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking. What went through the mind of Martha Jones?  
  
He stepped back again and nodded approvingly, “You’ve had you fair share of the rain and the hub isn’t far from here—I’ll rush back and change there.”  
  
Martha looked at the long coat, hugging it around her; the warmth and scent of Jack was still on it despite the rain. It made her knees feel giddy and relaxed at the same time. It was a very strange sensation but a wonderful one as well. It was like being wrapped up in warm bedcovers on a cold Saturday morning.  
  
“If you’re sure” she finally replied. “I’ll return it to you… clean and dry… don’t worry.”  
  
Jack just smiled, “Sure… I’ll call you and you can arrange for me to pick it up…”  
  
She nodded and turned to leave before she span around quickly, rushing back; “Wait! You don’t know my number!”  
  
“I work with Torchwood” he replied, chuckling. “I have everyone’s phone number—I could call the new Prime Minister on his private phone if I wanted.”  
  
Martha smirked and leant forward, surprising Jack with a kiss. It was nothing special: it lasted less than a second and he hardly felt it in the dripping rain, but it stopped him dead, still, and looking out at her as she rushed off, turning to give him one last smile before walking off past the corner. And Jack was left standing alone in the rain, in his own watery world that glowed with star light. Better than any planet the Doctor could take him to, or leave him on. Earth had Martha Jones on it—what more could he or the rest of the population of Earth ask for.  
  
It was only after he returned from the land of his thoughts that Jack discovered two things: firstly, he was being stared at by the café owner and all inside the café. He must have looked an idiot, standing in the middle of the street staring into space. It was then that he discovered the second thing.  
  
He was getting wet.


End file.
